Charles w



(No :Model.)

0. W. STIMSON. I CLASP FOR GARMENT SUPPORTERS.

No. 521,830. Patented June 26, 1894.

F'g; J3.

INVENTDR":

WITNESsEs:

' UNITE STATES f P TENT OFFICE. 1

. I, oHA-RL sw. STIMSON-,,OF NEw'YoRK, N. .Y.

*c As' FO R. eARM E'NT-SU P'PORTERS'.

srncrmcn'rrolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 52 1,830,datedJ une26, 1894.

' Application filed August '7, 1823. Serial No. 482,522. (Nomodell) ISupporters, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to clasps, and particularly to clasps used inconnection with garment supporting devices; andmy invention consists inthe novel forms and arrangement of the parts of the clasp,'in the novelmeans employed for insuring the thorough locking of the clasp, and inthe means provided for facilitating the opening of the clasp when it isdesired to release it from thegarment.

The objects of my invention are, first, to

devise a clasp which shall be simple and strong, easy and cheapofconstruction, and not subject to derangement; second, to devise moreefficient means than any now existing I for securely locking the claspwhen closed, thereby making it impossible for the garment to slip out ofthe clasp; and third, to provide ready means for opening the clasp.These objects are attained in the claspherein described and illustratedin the drawings which accompany and form a part, of this applica-n tion,in which the same reference numerals indicate the same or correspondingparts, and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my preferred form ofclasp, the clasp being shown closed. Fig. 2 is a sideielevation of theclasp, showing more particularly the method of securing the webbing tothe clasp. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the spring loop or frontplate shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3'is a top plan view of a similar clasp,-inwhich aplain loop is used. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of this latter.clasp, which is shown open. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively alongitudinal and a transverse section of a modified form of clasp, inwhich is shown a construction. whereby the use of the spiral springs ofthe clasps shown in Figs. 1 and 3'is'dispensed with; Figs. 7 and 8 are 7respectively a plan view and an elevation of another form of clasp,inwhich a modified and simplified form of back'plate is used. Figs. 9andlO are respectively a top plan of clasp in which the necessity of aspring is avoided. Fig. 11 shows another construction whereby the springmay be dispensed with.

Fig. 12 is a detailelevation ofthe sliding b utton used in the claspsillustrated in Figs. 1,

3, 5, 9, and 11, and Fig. 13 is a detail elevation of the button used inthe clasp shown'in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, and most particularly to Figsfl, 2, 2, 3, 4,and 12, 1 is a back plate,-and 2 a front plate or. loop, which togetherform the body of the clasp. They are hinged together-atv a point 3. Theback plate 1 is slotted longitudinally, and in this slotworks a button4, having an'enlar'ged head 5, and abase or guide plate 6, which latteris behind the back plate 1', and is provided with two projecting ears 7,7, which embrace the back plate and hold the guide plate of the buttonclosely against the back plate,

while leaving the button perfectly freeto slide back and. forth in theslot of the back plate 1. The opening in the front plateor loop is, asshown in'the'drawings, of variable width. At theupper'end, that 'is,the-end nearest the hinge 3, the width of the opening is sufficient topermit the headof the button A to pass through freely; While at thelower end of the loop, the opening is so narrow that the loop embracesclosely the shank of the button; and when the button is at the lower Uend of the plate 1, with its head projecting through thelopening'inthe-loop, the loop is held'and prevented from swinging outward, sincethe width of the head of the button is greater than the width of theopening in the loop at this point. r v I 8 isaspiral spring inclosingthe axis of the hinge 3,'and tends to cause the front plateor loop 2 toswing outward and to open the clasp. The two parts-of the clasp beinghingedtogether, the clasp opens very widely, the frontv plate or loopswinging so far away from the back plate that it is very; easy to placethe edge of the garment within the'clasp and over the head of thebutton. In former spring clasps the front plate and back plate havevbeen'fastened together rigidly, so that of ne- IOO cessity the range'ofmovement of the front 1 plate, and so the degree of opening, is veryview anda side elevation ofamodified form such clasps to introduce theedge of the garwent into the clasp and to place the same over the headof the button, for the space between the front plate and the head of thebutton being limited, it requires special care and attention to so placethe edge of the garment that the clasp may hold the same. "When the 1ing. The pressure caused by this spring is under most circumstancessufficient to prevent any accidental opening of the clasp; but as anadditional precaution, I may use, instead of a plain loop, such as thatshown in Fig. 3, a spring loop,such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Inthis form of loop, the sides 9, 9, while joined at the top of the loop,are not joined across the bottom, but are separated by a slight gap,which gap is covered and protected, however, by a curved shield 10attached to one of the sides of the loop, and extending across the gapbetween the ends of these sides 9 9. This construction permits the sidesto spring somewhat when force is applied to push them apart. The form ofthe opening in the loop is somewhat peculiar, being contracted, at apoint between the two ends of the loop, to a neck somewhat narrower thanthe width of -"the shank of the button, and then widening out at thelower end of the loop. When, therefore, the clasp is closed and thebutton 4 pulled downward to lock the clasp, as the shank of the buttonpasses through the contracted portion of the openand when the buttonreaches the small end of the loop these sides spring together again. Thebutton is thus held firmly at the end of the loop, and cannot be pushedback by any accidental cause, but must have force directly applied toforce it upward for the purpose of openingthe clasp. I do not claim thisspring loop per se, since it is not of my invention, nor do I confinemyself to the use of any particular form of spring loop, but may availmyself of any form of loop having spring jaws adapted to grasp and holdthe button in substantially the manner described. I merely show thisparticular loop as forming a particular example of various spring loopswhich may be employed.

The base plate 6 of the button 4 has in it a slot 11 to which isattached the end of the webbing of the garment supporter. The webbing,after being attached to the base plate 6, passes behind the back plate1, is doubled upon itself at 12, and is then passed through a slot in anupward extension of the body of the clasp, though whether this upwardexten sion is formed on the back plate or on the front plate is a matterof indilference. All three folds of the webbing are brought together atthe point 12 and sewed or otherwise The friction secured at this point.The webbing is therefore so placed as to prevent any possible contact ofthe metal parts of the clasp with the flesh of the wearer, while theweight of the garment supported is all transferred from the clasp to thewebbing at the top of the clasp, there being no strain on the webbingbehind the back plate or on the button, and therefore no danger that thebutton may be pulled upward accidentally. Moreover, the webbing whenattached to the button as thus described forms a very convenient devicefor raising the button and opening the clasp. Were the webbing notattached to the button, the clasp might be somewhat difficult to open,for the head of the button when in use is covered by the garment, sothat it is not easy to move the button by the head, and the bottom ofthe button is inaccessible, being between the back plate and thewebbing, so that the button cannot be grasped at the side readily. Whenthe webbing is attached to the button, however, it is very easy to openthe clasp, for the webbing below the hinge is loose and is easilygrasped, and an upward pull upon it draws up the button, thus permittingthe 1 front plate to fly outward and so to open the clasp.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a clasp in which the back plate used issomewhat more simple than that shown in the other figures.

In this construction, the back plate is not slotted, but is a solid barwhich passes through a slot in the shank of the button, the end of h theback plate being turned upward to serve as a stop for the button, thuspreventing it from sliding otf from the back plate. 3 button is shown indetail in Fig. 13.

ing in the loop it forces the sides 9, 9 apart, i

The

In Fig. 8 there is likewise shown a device whereby the use of the spiralspring 8, shown in Figs. 1 to at inclusive, is dispensed with. 3 Thisdevice consists of an outwardly projecting lug, 13, formed on the backplate, which projects far enough to come in contact with 5 the frontplate or loop 2, and hold the same in an angular position to the backplate 1 when the clasp is open. The front plate or loop 2 is made ofthin springy metal, as hard sheet brass, and when the clasp is to beclosed the end of the loop is pressed in toward the back plate 1, andthe button 4 pulled downward until it engages the loop and holdsitinthat position.

Somewhat similar devices for dispensing with the spiral spring 8 areshown in Figs. 5', 6, 9,10, and 11. In Figs. 5 and 6 both the back plateand the front plate or loop are provided with projectinglugs 14 and15,which engage and tend to prevent the clasp from closing; and when itis desired to close the clasp the front plate is sprung inward and thebutton drawn down to hold it there. In

Fig. 11 the front plate or loop is provided with a projecting lug 16which engages with the back plate, while in Figs. 9 and 10 the top plateitself is bent so as to form a boss which comes in contact with the backplate ITO and makes it necessary to spring the front plate in in orderto close the clasp. 3

The method of use of all of my forms of claspis. substantially the same.The clasp being open, with the front plate or loop widely separated fromthe'back plate, the button 4 is pushed upward to the rear end of theslot in the back plate, and a portion of the fabric of the garment to besupported is placed over the head of the button. The top plate or loopis then pressed down, until the head of the button ,covered by thefabric,projects through the opening in said loop. The button is thendrawn down into the contracted portion of the loop, until the fabriciswedged firmly in between, the button and the sides of the loop. If

' the clasp is provided with the spring loop shown in Fig. 1,the sidesof theloop will open somewhat to admit the button to the extreme end ofthe loop, and will thenclose together, holdingthebutton firmly in place.In all forms of the clasp, also, the pressure of the front plate againstthe head of the button, due to the spring 8 or to tension produced bythe bending of the front plate itself in those clasps in which no spiralspring8 is used, and

' the friction produced by this pressure,will

hold the button and prevent it from slipping upward and thus permittingthe'clasp to open,

the spring loop being only an additional means of affording securityagainst the accidental opening of the clasp.

' To open the clasp, the button 4 is moved upward, either by holding thebody of the clasp and applyingforce to the button, by holding thegarment itself and pushing the body of the clasp downward or by pullingupward upon the webbing attached to the button. In any" case the buttonmoves'along the groove in the back plate 1 until the head of the buttonhas reached a'point where the opening in the top plate or loop issufliciently wide to permit the head of the button to pass through thesame. When the button has reached such a point,'the spring 8, or, ifthere is no such spring, the tension produced by the bending of thefront plate or loop, will cause the loop to open outwardly, swingingabout the hinge 3, and releasing the fabric from the clasp.

Having thus completely described my invention, what Iclaim, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is p .In a clasp for garment supporters,the combination, with a back plate and a headed button sliding thereon,of a front plate hinged to said back plate and having an aperturetherein enlarged at one end to permit of the pas sage of the head of thebutton and contracted at the other end to cause said front plate toengage and retain the head of the button, a

spring for causing said front and back plates to swing widely apart whenthe button is moved opposite the enlarged portion of the aperture insaid 'front plate, and a strip of fabric secured to the sliding buttonand to the body of the clasp, and forming a means for drawing back andretracting said button, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Iaffix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES W. STIMSON. Witnesses:

W. O. LITTLE, WARREN HIGLEY.

